Kieran O'Donnell is the 2023 Star Player

The Border Mail

Kieran O'Donnell wins the 2023 AWFA Star Player award

Transcript

00:00 One vote, Colborne, Bill Parkett.

00:03 Two votes, Tom La Spina, Myrtleford.

00:07 Three votes, Tom Chaplet, Myrtleford.

00:11 We have a look at our final and sally leaderboard.

00:15 The boomers, picture up there really.

00:19 Martin Svoboda and Josh Perry, 14 and 15 respectively.

00:27 Andrew Grove at 18, what a great season by him.

00:31 Jacob Schwaber, really pulled well through the middle part

00:35 as well, Jack McGiffin, great behind him

00:37 in the competition this year, 23 votes.

00:38 Bill Parkett, 23 as well.

00:41 So the Roar Boys doing nicely, both up in the top three.

00:44 Not the Roar, the Michael, 26,

00:45 and your Stephen Haney star player,

00:47 here we are, Tom La Spina.

00:49 (audience cheering)

00:52 (audience applauding)

01:20 - Here he looks nice and greased up, he's fired up.

01:23 Hey, congratulations, boy, what an impact,

01:26 clearly, that you've had on the competition.

01:29 Again, in terms of record, it's a little bit hazy,

01:32 but I believe the first Roar man to some degree to do it.

01:35 But since 2015, interestingly,

01:38 five out of those seven years,

01:39 the person that's won the gold-picking award

01:42 has also gone on to win the star player award,

01:44 and Virgil did it twice in that time as well.

01:46 So it seems to be a good correlation between the two of them.

01:49 So how do you feel right now, mate, taking up this award?

01:51 - Yeah, I feel privileged.

01:53 I'm back again, apparently.

01:55 But nah, it's a great honour,

01:57 and it's a nice little individual award.

02:00 If I could swap it for that grand final,

02:02 in a heartbeat, of course,

02:04 but I'm happy on a personal level, yeah, of course.

02:07 - I'm gonna touch on shortly what got you over here.

02:09 I believe Bill Parkett might've played a little part.

02:11 I don't know if Bill's regretting that right now,

02:13 because you might've just stopped him

02:14 from actually winning the award himself, mate,

02:16 with Melky there as well.

02:17 But was there any sort of battle

02:18 between you two blokes coming down,

02:20 or any of the boys who might poll the most?

02:22 - Nah, no battle, because this man assists me.

02:25 You can't score goals if I assist,

02:26 and he puts them on a plate for me every time,

02:28 so I can only thank him for getting me out here

02:31 and doing what he does,

02:32 from the meals and training and everything.

02:35 This man has individually got me up on this stage,

02:38 so I can't thank him enough, and it's a privilege.

02:40 (audience applauding)

02:43 - So tell us about that,

02:44 because I believe also, back home,

02:46 there's a couple of former Cockrom players as well

02:48 that you played with.

02:49 So tell us that actual full connection

02:51 and how you ended up on the rules doorstep.

02:53 - I don't know how I'm here, to be honest,

02:55 but yeah, there's a bit of a Brock and Ives,

02:57 Cockrom connection,

02:59 which seems to be working well at the moment,

03:00 with Smithy, Archie, Mitchell, Specie, Poise,

03:02 a couple of years back.

03:03 And yeah, it's an honor to be here,

03:06 and it seems to be working, so why not carry on?

03:09 - Now, very popular member of the group,

03:12 but you've also really, you know,

03:15 bought into the culture that is at Cockrom.

03:17 I believe they get a lot of you guys

03:18 to get involved coaching ones.

03:19 You're coaching the 13s at the moment as well.

03:21 So how much have you enjoyed being immersed

03:24 within the Royal community this year?

03:26 - Oh, it's been unreal.

03:28 I didn't expect it to be how good it was.

03:31 Coaching that under 13s has been a privilege.

03:33 Like, the boys are unreal.

03:35 All the young lads, it's an honor.

03:37 It's hard not to laugh at this little man over here

03:40 in the white shirt, bless him.

03:41 I've done his trim as well.

03:43 But apart from that, yeah, it's been an honor.

03:45 It's so good, such a good time.

03:47 - Speaking to a number of people at the Royal,

03:49 you're very, very popular at the club.

03:50 But there's one thing I don't like about you,

03:53 and that's your choice of music.

03:54 Is this correct?

03:56 - Nah, it's a lie, it's a myth.

03:57 I only play good tunes.

03:59 - Are you in charge of the pre-warmups,

04:01 sort of music-wise, or anything like that?

04:03 Or do you have the boys,

04:05 I believe they're not too happy with some of your choices.

04:07 - I don't know who said that, but I can, yeah.

04:10 There was a really bad DJ previous,

04:12 and I had to step in and teach him a bit of this

04:15 English culture, bring it over this side.

04:17 - Okay, now, we're not at all your games, obviously.

04:21 But when we do live stream,

04:22 you seem to really look for a gold celebration.

04:25 You seem to be very aware of where the camera is.

04:27 I'm not sure how you go, but the boys do.

04:30 I do have it on good authority that you take

04:32 special privilege in your celebrations.

04:34 Do you put a lot of thought into them?

04:35 Is it sort of pre-planned?

04:37 'Cause you love a celebration, mate.

04:39 You do some of the best in the club.

04:41 - I appreciate that.

04:42 Nah, I live with a group of lads,

04:44 and sometimes, the night before games,

04:46 we plan a little celebration.

04:48 If it's a bit out of order, I apologise,

04:50 but some of them are mainly contained.

04:53 But, yeah, not really.

04:55 It's not really planned sometimes, but not really.

04:59 Yeah, I apologise to all the goalkeepers in the league,

05:01 and defenders, if I've done a really bad celebration.

05:05 I apologise, but it is what it is.

05:08 - How have you found the level of competition?

05:11 This year, in Walfa.

05:12 Has it been what you expected?

05:14 Has it been better than what you expected?

05:15 How have you found it?

05:17 - Nah, I think it's a good level of competition.

05:19 It's very different to what I'm used to back home,

05:22 but I've probably enjoyed it.

05:24 - Okay, and from Rawls' perspective,

05:26 obviously, bitterly disappointed you touched on before

05:29 that you got knocked out,

05:30 but you can't take away from,

05:32 you were second in the competition

05:33 to one of the great teams of Walfa that there has been.

05:36 So, how do you assess the Rawls' year?

05:39 - I think we were on a season-long run.

05:42 We got very unlucky with injuries.

05:45 One, I was not ready for a Q&A up here, personally,

05:48 but yeah, we had so much potential,

05:52 and we could have gone a lot further,

05:55 and we were very unlucky, so great one next year.

05:57 - Cup final on Saturday night,

06:00 United against Vertel Fili.

06:02 Are you prepared to pick an upset?

06:04 Can we see an upset here at all?

06:07 - Yes.

06:08 - For me, there'll be, for me, what I played against,

06:11 there'll be no, I'm feeling a lot of pressure up here,

06:13 by the way, I apologise.

06:14 (audience laughing)

06:15 But for me, United dominated the game,

06:20 and Murdoch would have to be very much on their date,

06:23 because United and us are,

06:27 I think, the best two teams in the league,

06:28 and for me, I see United win.

06:30 - Yes. - Yay!

06:32 (audience applauding)

06:32 - Right, so thank you for this, yeah?

06:34 Can I ask you for a score?

06:36 - A score?

06:37 - A score?

06:38 (audience laughing)

06:41 I'm not really a predictor, but I don't know, maybe,

06:46 it depends how many Murdoch players

06:48 have been recorded this season,

06:49 that's maybe a three or four one United.

06:54 - Oh, very good, very good.

06:56 Plans for you next year,

06:57 what will we see you back here in the competition,

07:00 or from us?

07:01 - I think we'll be back in the competition,

07:02 here in the competition, or from us,

07:04 we'll need to discuss that a little bit.

07:07 - I'm waiting on where I'm traveling,

07:09 or where I'm going, I'm not too sure at the moment,

07:11 so very undecided, but I love Cumberland Moor

07:14 with all my heart, and yeah, I love the club,

07:16 and I love the people, and the community,

07:18 it's just someone I've never seen before,

07:20 so it's brilliant.

07:21 - Well, congratulations, mate, that's everyone,

07:23 that's whether they've been in the Parliament

07:25 or played with you this year,

07:26 and obviously the fans, you're a delight to watch,

07:28 you're clearly a star player,

07:29 you've won the award tonight,

07:30 I'll allow you to thank whoever you like.

07:32 - Thank you, I feel like I've done all the thank yous,

07:35 all the rounds of thank yous,

07:36 so I apologise if I haven't thanked my family yet,

07:39 so thank you, but apart from that,

07:42 I love you all, and thank you, sorry.

07:44 (audience laughing)

07:45 (audience applauding)

07:49 (applause)

07:51 (applause)

Category

Transcript

Recommended